Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 336 › Conversation 336-052

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and Address to the Nation

Monday, May 8, 1972 · 6:14 PM–6:22 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation336-052 onTape 336 (tape position 02:32:22–02:36:53)StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:14 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:22 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 336-052 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with staff to rehearse his upcoming televised address regarding the situation in Southeast Asia. The discussion focused on refining specific policy language concerning the release of prisoners of war, the cessation of military force, and the negotiation process for South Vietnam. These edits were intended to clarify that the administration's announced actions were defensive measures aimed at protecting American troops rather than seeking a surrender.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 112.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 112.3 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 49.5 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:32:22 into the tape and ends around 02:36:53.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.

2:32:20Also, on page 12, there's another line that I used as a book description, so that page 12, the bottom of the page, the actions I organized, were what I was describing.
2:32:46Sir, Henry's office sent me over a new page two of that meeting with the possession of the flat part of the leaders.
2:32:56Yes, you have that.
2:33:00I have that.
2:33:01That's great news.
2:33:02Yeah, it might be.
2:33:04It was on your desk this morning.
2:33:12It's not bad.
2:33:12Oh, this, uh, I don't know.
2:33:13No, it didn't mean anything.
2:33:15It's the same thing they gave you this morning.
2:33:37See you over there in a minute.
2:33:44You're meeting with the black part of the leadership.
2:33:47Rather than the cabinet.
2:33:49Well, the cabinet would be at the television.
2:33:50The cabinet would be at the television.
2:33:54Sort of a leader's role, I guess.
2:34:09The actions I ordered will cease in the following days from now.
2:34:12First of all, I urge the prisoners of war to be prepared.
2:34:14I'll argue that this is an illegal and still be degrading condition for over eight years, violating all rules of the American rule.
2:34:21And I implore you to do this.
2:34:22Second, there must be an action to revise this fire throughout the time.
2:34:26Once prisoners of war are released, and once we have an action to revise this fire to be done, we will stop all acts of war of force throughout the time.
2:34:37So, uh, strikeout on that page, well, some of our people have used it, but it's, uh, both of those paragraphs are not
2:35:19released once the American Supervisor's fire has begun.
2:35:21He stopped all acts of force throughout the entire time.
2:35:25At that time, he would receive the complete control of all acts of force through the economy and work.
2:35:30These are terms which would not require a surrender from the nation on the part of the economy.
2:35:36He would prevent the United States from going on.
2:35:39He would end the government without even understanding it.
2:35:42He would allow a negotiation on the will of the southern people, the entities themselves.
2:35:45He would prevent all nations
2:35:48I'm just sorry that this long road kind of lasts for the very first of these few months.
2:35:52I'm hoping it will allow us to get along and help each other on this island.
2:35:55Ladies and gentlemen, may you accept this as our good time.
2:35:58In the book we read by the March of the Magnus in Collinsburg, it said that they were told each of the major parties involved in the war would be trained and lead by all.
2:36:05First, the leaders of Canada.
2:36:06Your people are already starting to mind the key to conquest.
2:36:17Do not count how many are hated.
2:36:18Do not count how many are hated.
2:36:19Do not count how many are hated.
2:36:20Do not count how many are hated.
2:36:21Do not count how many are hated.
2:36:22Do not count how many are hated.
2:36:23Do not count how many are hated.
2:36:45The actions we have announced are not directed against you.
2:36:49Their sole purpose is to protect the lives of 60,000 Americans with the great foundation of the United States of America.

NARA Description

On May 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 336-052 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 336-52

                                         (rev. Nov-01)

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:14 and 6:22 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President rehearsed his “Address to the Nation on the Situation in Southeast Asia”.

[This is a continuation of Conversation No. 336-34]

[See Public Papers of the Presidents, Richard M. Nixon, 1972, pp. 583-587]

Also recorded on May 8, 1972

  • 336-041 5:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
  • 336-049 6:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:09 pm to 6:14 pm.
  • 336-050 6:14 PM · 45 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-051 6:14 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-053 6:14 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-054 6:14 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-055 6:14 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-056 6:22 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:22 pm to 6:34 pm.

All 94 conversations from May 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 336-052, May 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/336-052 (accessed September 18, 2026).